


Language Shift

by BarPurple



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV), Stargate Universe
Genre: F/M, Tumblr Ask Box Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-09
Updated: 2019-06-09
Packaged: 2020-04-23 11:58:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 624
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19150582
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BarPurple/pseuds/BarPurple
Summary: The crew of Destiny are changing language. They are going to have to get inventive to come up with a word for this situation.





	Language Shift

Language is a living creature. It adapts and evolves through use. Each generation reinvents meanings in order to confuse and annoy their parents, and parents forget that they did exactly the same when they were kids. New technology and situations need new descriptions, so words are borrowed, repurposed, or chopped up and bolted together with other bits to fit.

In a small community like Destiny language had a chance to evolve on the fast track. A wide variety of Earth languages and dialects, as well as Ancient caused mutations in much the same way that a radioactive spider or morally dubious science experiment would in comic books.

General O'Neill and the rest of the SGC crew noticed when the Destiny team started using words like 'stonearoo'. That one didn't take long to work out, it was a good word for the function of the communication stones. Some of the Destiny lingo took longer to decipher.

'Blundr' took the SGC quite a while to translate, mostly because when spoken it sounded like the English word meaning a stupid or careless mistake. Since the Destiny crew only used it when something went wrong it appeared for a long time that they were using it in that way.

It was only when he was on Destiny after a 'stoneroo' that Jack discovered the truth behind the word.

Volker stopped Young and O'Neill at the door of the console room; “I'd wait for a little while. Fallout from a blundr.”

Young sighed; “Who's he yelling at now?”

If Volker's grin had been any wider the top of his head would have fallen off; “He's the one getting shouted at.”

O'Neill crossed his arms over his chest and quickly dropped them back to his sides. He was in TJ's body and feeling her breasts under his forearms was strange and rude.

“Care to explain Volker? Starting with the meaning of blunder.”

“Ok right, well blun means jump or to do nothing, so add 'dr ' on to the end and you've got what Rush does when something goes wrong and someone says they weren't doing anything. Jump down their throat that is.”

Jack nodded, that made sense, and since the ship wasn't exploding around them whatever Rush had fouled up clearly wasn't dangerous; “Who's yelling at him?”

Before Volker could answer the yelling behind the door increased and they could very hear an irate Australia accent shout;

“For God's sake! I'm not dating him! And what would it be to you if I was?”

Jack recognised the voice as Belle French, a brilliant astrophysicist, who probably understood as much about Destiny as Rush. There was a beat or two of silence and then Rush hollered;

“Because I'd come up to ask you to dinner that's bloody why!”

There was a long pause and then a light thumping noise that sounded like two bodies making contact at some speed.

Young sighed; We may as well hit the mess for a while. This,” - he waved a hand at the thankfully firmly closed door, - “has been a long time coming. They're going to be a while.”

O'Neill shook his head; “I've got a dozen meetings today.”

He step forward and hit the door release. The resounding expletives he got in stereo didn't put him off. With a shit-eating grin on his face he strolled into the console room; “Doctors French and Rush. Congratulations. Now can I have the up-date on...”

Belle interrupted him; “Volker can tell you all you need to know. Rush and I have been awake for twenty hours. We're off-duty.”

She caught hold of Rush's hand and dragged the stunned looking man in her wake.

O'Neill didn't miss a beat, he turned on his heel, and said; “Righty then. Volker?”


End file.
